title: Neuroblastoma in Iran: an experience of 32 years at a referral childrens hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This survey aim was to evaluate the epidemiology and outcomes of neuroblastoma patients in one the most important children referral hospitals in Iran as a model from developing countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective, non-randomized analytic study was conducted on 219 newly diagnosed neuroblastoma cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age of patients ranged from 1-156 months with the average of 40.5±2.44, with a male/female ratio of 1.9/1. Of the total, 172 (78.5%) were children and 47 (21.5%) were infants The adrenals were the most common primary site (60%). Stage 4 at diagnosis accounted for about 54% of all enrolled patients. Infants had significantly better cumulative survival (85±8%) than children (33±7%) during the follow up period and the survival rate improved from 33±7% in 1974-1994 to 58±9% in 1995-2005.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that our patient population with neuroblastomas tends to have more advanced disease, perhaps with poor biologic markers, but our analysis shows that the outcomes have improved over 32 years although the overall survival of Iranian neuroblastoma patients is still lower than developed countries. Late diagnosis, inability to determine risk group during the years of study and using single protocol for all enrolled patients can be the reasons of lower survival rate.
authors.affiliation: Onco-Pathology Research Center, Ali-Asghar Children Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. swt_f@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Gholamreza Bahoush
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Mehdiabadi
authors.forename: Elaheh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.forename: Khadijeh Arjmandi
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rafsanjani
authors.forename: Shahla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: Amir Majid
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Moinzadeh
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor